PES 2010 continues to focus on attempting to bring a real soccer simulation to loyal fans of the sport. It requires both strategic play and quick reactions, as in real life. In addition to key out-field elements, goalkeepers are more versatile and with abilities matching those of modern shot-stoppers. The game's referees have also been reworked, with smarter AI elements allowing them to make more balanced calls during matches. PES 2010 has undergone a major visual revamp, with its celebrated player likenesses and animations now even closer to those of real-life players - including live player expressions to be depicted with an improved lighting system which differentiates between various conditions...

I have to be honest and admit that I didn't really notice a great deal of difference between this game and last year's PES 2009. If anything it's just tweaks - some of which seem to be a step backwards. The graphics have been given a facelift and look great, but this doesn't make up for some of the game's problems.

The most annoying aspect for me was the fact that the opposition's AI seem to be able to foresee what is going to happen with the ball, while your computer controlled players seem oblivious to what is going on.

On a few too many occasions the opposition team sent three of their players to surround me, yet in the same game they could run towards my goal without a single player of mine anywhere in sight. Also the computer's choice of which of your players you can control is sometimes a little odd, or will randomly change so that you think you have control of one player, when in fact you are controlling another. This can cause you to commit a foul by attacking a player who doesn't have the ball - because you go in for a sliding tackle on the player with the ball, but a split second before you press the button your player changes and now another player is sliding into one of your opponents who doesn't have the ball. Of course, you can manually change the player you control, but this still doesn't stop the issue when the computer switches players at the last minute.

Another issue (which is not new to the franchise) is the fact that when you tap a button twice it stores that and then uses that move when you next get possession of the ball. Let me explain. You are defending and trying to take the ball off the other team, so you press the button that puts pressure on their player with the ball. But when you gain possession of the ball the memory notices that you pressed the tackle button more than once and as you now have the ball it executes that movement and kicks the ball ahead - usually to the other team.

While on balance this is still an enjoyable portable offering, there are a few too many issues that make this a little annoying.

7

Nick Smithson